A Very Poly Engagement Pt. 02

Jimmy

#

Tonight was going to be the easiest of the three-day gauntlet that I was about to run through with Izzy and Eliza. In an hour we would break the news of our three-way engagement to my twin sister Vivian, who was coming over for dinner at the apartment that I now shared with my two fiancés.

Tomorrow (Sunday) we would drive to Western Massachusetts to break the news to my mother and stepfather. Monday, we would drive up to Portland in Maine to tell my dad. He was retired, so he wouldn't be working that day, and we were using a couple vacation days. We would spend Monday with him, then Tuesday and Wednesday at an AirBnB on the Maine coast, where the three of us would unwind after a long weekend of explaining our poly relationship to all of my family.

"How are you doing?" Eliza asked.

She was standing in the doorway of our bedroom as I buttoned up my shirt. This was the fifth time either she or Izzy had asked me this question today.

"I'm fine," I said. "I just... I don't know why I'm dressing up for my sister."

Eliza looked me up and down. I was wearing gray slacks and a blue button-down shirt. Eliza and Izzy had suggested this outfit. It wasn't anything special. Just something I might wear to work or a nice restaurant. Eliza had also picked out a tie for me to wear, which was ridiculous. I never wore ties, not even for work.

"Isabelle and I want you to look nice. Plus, we're dressing up, too."

Eliza was wearing a white sundress with green stripes. The skirt barely reached mid-thigh. It was nothing like the demure outfit she wore when we had dinner with her family a few weeks ago. In fact, it was the dress she wore to meet me and Izzy at the D. C. airport when we first visited her in the wake of our initial weekend hookup in Boston. She had greeted us in this dress at a time when we didn't yet know what we were to each other.

That dress would always be burned into my brain for two reasons. First, I'll never forget how happy and excited I felt when I saw her waiting for us in the airport. Second, after we arrived at her apartment building, I took that dress off her and made love to her. Soon after, she and Izzy made love, and I knew the three of us were falling for each other.

I loved that dress. I was happy she was wearing it tonight. I was always happy when she wore it. But it wasn't necessarily as formal as the outfit she wanted me to wear.

I started to suspect that she was wearing that dress for me. To make me happy.

"I'll dress up for you if it makes you happy," I said.

She smiled and walked away.

After I finished tying my tie, I walked out to join the girls. Izzy was making pasta with a meat sauce. Eliza was helping, making salad and a pitcher of margaritas. I resisted the urge to pour a glass. Despite my nerves, I didn't want to have a buzz going before Vivian even got here.

Izzy drained the pasta in the sink with a strainer. She wore cutoff jeans and a tank top that barely contained her breasts. When she noticed me standing nearby, she said, "How are you doing?"

I rolled my eyes. If one of them asked me that question again, I was going to lose it.

"He's fine," Eliza said. She smiled at me as she placed four glasses next to the pitcher of margaritas on the dining table. "Doesn't he look nice?"

Izzy looked me up and down. "He's yummy." She puffed her lips out and blew me a kiss. She dumped the pasta into a bowl and brought it to the table. "I'm going to throw on a dress."

She hurried out of the room. I leaned against the counter and watched Eliza stir the sauce that was still simmering on the stove. She idly kicked one foot out, which made her hip shift in a delightful way. I wandered over and put my hands on her waist.

"I'm handling tomato sauce here, James. Do not make me splatter it on this dress."

"I wouldn't dream of it." I kissed her neck.

She sighed and leaned into me. "You're going to be my husband."

"Yes, I am." But I wouldn't be her legal husband. That reality still bothered me. I wanted her to give her more than what we had planned.

She tilted her head to give me more access to her neck. I took the hint and kissed it some more. One of my hands roamed over her belly and upward, stopping just short of her breast. Her breath caught as she waited for me to continue roaming.

"Knock it off, you two," Izzy said. "We don't need your sister to show up and find you sporting a boner."

I backed away from Eliza and raised my hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry."

Izzy was wearing a light blue midi dress. Her hair was piled on her head very elegantly.

"The last time I saw you wearing that dress was in July."

"I wore it when we picked up Elle at the airport."

"You insisted on greeting her with tulips," I said.

"And later that week you gave us both engagement rings," Izzy said.

Her smile was huge and bright and it made me feel at ease. I looked at Eliza in her little sundress. She was smiling, too. They were both wearing dresses that marked important moments in our relationship. They had coordinated this. I looked down at my outfit and thought back. Yes, I wore this the night that Izzy first seduced Eliza into having a threesome with us. We had left the bar and come back to this apartment. Eliza had given me a fantastic blowjob while Izzy fucked her with a dildo. I went down on Eliza and made her come while her head rested in Izzy's lap. Then Eliza watched me fuck Izzy. And that's when I had first blurted out that I wanted to marry Izzy.

That was the night that started all this.

And now we were all engaged.

"I see what you two did here."

"Just reliving the moments that brought us together and bound us together," Eliza said as she admired the diamond ring on her finger.

"To remind you about how we got here and how happy we are to have each other," Izzy added.

I ambled over to Izzy and kissed her lightly on the lips. She gave me a sexy little sidelong look.

"Tonight will go well," I said. "Viv would never judge me for anything I do."

"Of course. She's your twin," Izzy said.

The doorbell rang.

"She's here," Izzy whispered.

I lifted Izzy's chin to make her look up into my eyes. "I love you, Isabelle."

She grinned. "I know. Go answer the door. Your sister is waiting."

I walked from the kitchen to the living room and unlocked the deadbolt. I took a long, calming breath and opened the door.

Vivian stood there with a bottle of wine and a little bouquet of daisies.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Flowers?"

"Now that Izzy lives here, I bring flowers." She stuck her tongue out and walked past me into the apartment. She looked around the living room, finding no one else but me. "Where is that girl, anyway?"

"In the kitchen, slaving over the meal that she's making for us," I said.

Vivian put the wine and flowers on the little table by the door and hugged me tightly. "Good to see you, bro."

"You, too, Viv."

Vivian had the exact same blond hair as me, a little wavy with streaks of brown here and there. She wore hers longer, down to her shoulders. And these days she had side bangs. She was a few inches shorter than me, but otherwise, we definitely looked alike. Tonight she was wearing loose-fitting black pants and a pink button-up blouse.

"You said someone else would be joining us for dinner," Vivian said. "Are they here yet?"

#

I nodded as I picked up the wine. "In the kitchen."

#

She grabbed the flowers. "I don't understand why you're keeping their identity a secret." She frowned. "You swear this isn't a setup with some guy? I'm not interested in an awkward dinner with some dude."

#

"It's nothing like that," I said. "I promise."

#

She sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

I let her lead the way into the kitchen. When she entered, she stopped short. I nearly walked into her.

Izzy and Eliza were standing side-by-side at the table, facing us.

"Hi Viv," Izzy said. "You look hot as always."

"You, too, Izzy." Vivian took a few steps closer. "Eliza? Wow. I haven't seen you in a really long time."

Vivian knew about the falling out that Eliza and I had during our last year of college. She knew it had to do with my crush on her and a sexual encounter we had. I had never gone into the details.

Vivian also knew that Eliza and I were talking again, but she knew nothing about how that reconnection had led to our throuple and subsequent engagement.

"Hi Vivian, I'm really happy to see you," Eliza said. She walked around the table and hugged my sister. It was a brief but friendly one. Then Vivian hugged Izzy and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Vivian really liked Izzy. She was going to be thrilled that I had proposed.

"Oh my fucking god!" Vivian grabbed Izzy's hand and lifted it so she could get a look at the engagement ring on her finger. "Jimmy?" She turned to me with huge eyes. "You fucking did it. You put a ring on her. When?"

"Early July," I said.

She handed Izzy the flowers. "These are for you, honey." She took a couple steps toward me. "You waited two months to tell me? What the hell, Jimmy?"

"It's complicated," I said.

"What does that mean?"

"He proposed to both of us," Izzy said.

Vivian's attention snapped back to Izzy. "Both of who?"

Izzy pulled Eliza close so that they were hip to hip and kissed her cheek. Izzy grabbed Eliza's hand and lifted it up, making it clear that both of them had engagement rings.

"What the fuck?" Vivian looked back and forth between my girls and me. "Jimmy. What? What in the fuck? Shit! What?"

Vivian had lost the ability to use sentences.

"I'm marrying James, too. And Isabelle," Eliza said. Her lips curled into a nervous smile. Her eyes were shaking. She folded her hands against her belly. I could see how badly she needed Vivian to accept her. She needed it after how her family had reacted.

"I knew he had a thing for you in college, but that was years ago," Vivian said.

"They loved each other, but couldn't figure it out," Izzy said. "I decided to help them."

"Help them?" Vivian said. "Oh god, never mind. I don't want to know."

"I'll spare you the details," Izzy said. "Let's just say that we discovered that the three of us fit together very well."

"I thought it was just a little fling at first," Eliza said. "But I've always loved your brother. Isabelle helped me accept that. I fell for her in the process."

Vivian held out a hand. "I don't need the details."

"Eliza moved here from D. C. two weeks ago," Izzy said. "We're going to buy a house. Have babies."

"I need a fucking drink," Vivian said.

I walked over the table and poured the pitcher of margaritas. "We've been slow to spread the word about this. We broke the news to Eliza's family a few weeks ago and it wasn't great."

"My parents didn't take it well," Eliza said. "My father won't even talk to me about it. He changes the subject or hangs up the phone."

"I'm so sorry, Eliza," Vivian said.

"Tomorrow, we're going to see Mom," I said. "We'll tell her. Then dad on Monday."

"But you started with me," Vivian said.

"We thought you'd receive this news better than your parents," Eliza said.

"Yup, that's for sure," Vivian said. "I think I'm still in shock, to be honest."

Izzy picked up a margarita took a sip, all while keeping her eyes on Vivian. "Are you okay with this?"

"Izzy, I love you. I've been ready for you to be my sister-in-law for a while now," Vivian sad.

Izzy blushed. "Thanks, sweetie."

Vivian. shifted her gaze back and forth between Izzy and Eliza. "I'm not one to judge. But I don't think I'd like to share a guy with another woman."

"That's not how it works," Izzy said. "We're a throuple. Eliza and I aren't splitting time with Jimmy. We're all in a three-way relationship."

"So, my brother has to share you girls, is what I'm hearing," Vivian said.

Eliza laughed. "You could put it that way."

"This is wild," Vivian said. She pulled Izzy and Eliza into a hug. All three of them started laughing. After that, we sat down to dinner.

We talked about early concepts for our wedding. We discussed house shopping in Cambridge and Somerville. Both cities were across the river from Boston.

"I can't believe you guys are poly," Vivian said as she finished off her first margarita. "I have to say, you and Izzy always had such a deep connection and you were so hot for each other. I didn't think anything could get between you."

"I wouldn't say she got between us," I said. "She joined us."

"She fits in just right," Izzy said as she sipped her margarita. Eliza put her arm around Izzy's shoulder and kissed her cheek. Izzy turned and pressed her forehead to Eliza's. They closed their eyes and stayed like that for a moment.

Vivian glanced at me. "Okay, I see it. They're in love. They are so cute together."

I had to agree.

I made a second pitcher of margaritas. I was going slow, but all three women were quite buzzed.

"Vivian," Eliza said. "Tell us a story about James. Something embarrassing."

"Oh, yes!" Izzy blurted. "Give us dirt!"

"Oh hell no," I said.

"Our parents made us dress alike in kindergarten," Vivian said. "Jimmy hated it. I loved it because I was a tomboy. I basically wanted to be Jimmy."

"Why did you hate dressing like your sister?" Eliza asked me.

"The other kids teased us," I said. "They couldn't get over a boy and a girl wearing the same clothes."

"And the same bowl cut," Vivian added.

"I need to see photos," Izzy said. She squeezed my hand under the stable.

"I could also tell you the story about how our stepfather caught Jimmy having sex with his high school girlfriend in our basement," Vivian said.

"No way!" Izzy said. "I have not heard this story.

"There's not much to tell," I said. "I think it was more embarrassing for my stepfather Phil than it was for me or Sherry."

"What happened?" Eliza asked.

Vivian was sporting a huge grin. She enjoyed putting me on the spot. "Sherry was a 'fast girl,' according to our mother."

"Viv!" I said. I really loved Sherry when we were teenagers. We dated most of senior year, but we broke up just before college. "She was a sweetheart. Phil caught us trying to have breakup sex."

"I wasn't there," Viv said. "I heard it all third-hand from Mom, who got it from Phil. All I know is he came downstairs and saw Sherry's bare legs sticking straight up in the air from the couch and Jimmy was on top of her. And there was some moaning."

Eliza and Izzy cracked up and Vivian joined them. I simply shook my head and waited for them to stop laughing at my expense.

Toward the end of the meal, Vivian told us about a guy she was seeing. They were about to have a third date.

"Are you going to put out?" Izzy asked.

"I don't want to know!" I said.

"Yes," Vivian said. She stuck her tongue out at me. She added a shrug. "Maybe I'll need a plus-one on my wedding invite."

Eliza blushed. Izzy laughed like a hyena. I groaned.

We had ice cream for dessert. At this point, Vivian was a bit drunk.

"I think my brother is taking on more than he can handle, but I'll enjoy watching him try to keep both of you happy," Vivian said.

"He'll do just fine," Izzy said.

"Will you be our maid of honor?" Eliza asked.

Izzy tiled her head at Eliza and raised an eyebrow.

"Why me? Vivian said.

"Your James' sister," Eliza said. "And you're so supportive of us. I... I really appreciate it, Vivian." She wiped her eyes with the back of hands. "I really do."

"We asked Eliza's sister to be our maid of honor, too," Izzy said.

"There are two brides," Eliza said. "We each need a maid of honor."

Vivian stuck her tongue out at me. "Is that okay, if I'm maid of honor for your girls, bro?"

"Either that, or I make you my best man."

"Uh, best woman," Vivian said.

"Best babe," Izzy blurted out. She saw me shaking my head with mock annoyance. "What, your sister's hot? She's basically you, but with nice boobs."

"Izzy!" I did not want to hear anyone talking about how hot my sister was, especially one of my fiancés.

Vivian simply grinned at all of us. She enjoyed receiving compliments. "I'll stick with maid of honor."

After dessert and some more drinks and lots of laughs, I walked my sister downstairs and helped her into an Uber.

"I'll text you when I get home so you don't worry," Vivian said.

She knew I worried about her getting home safe when she was drunk. "It's not too late for me to drive you home. We have a car in the city now, thanks to Eliza. She brought her Volvo up here."

She shook her head. "Go back up to your apartment. Your fiancés are waiting for you."

"Okay, just don't fall asleep during the ride home."

"I'm not that drunk! Oh god, Jimmy! You won the lottery, didn't you. I can't believe you. There are two gorgeous women waiting for you upstairs, and for some reason they don't mind sharing you."

"Well, I'm sharing them, too. They love each other very much, Viv."

"I can tell." She finally got into the car. "You're all crazy about each other. It's sweet. I wish I had someone that felt that way about me. Let alone two someones.""Okay, okay. I get it. I'm a lucky guy."

"Don't fuck it up, dumbass."

"I won't. Love you, kid."

"Love you more."

I closed the door and waved as the Uber drove away.

When I reentered the apartment, I found Eliza doing the dishes. She looked over her shoulder and the smile she gave me made my heart flutter.

"That went well," she said.

"So well." I ambled over and stood beside her at the sink. "I'll finish the dishes."

She bumped me with her hip. "Get out of here. Izzy is waiting for you in the bedroom."

"What's she need me for?"

"Go find out, silly." She kissed me and cocked her head toward the doorway.

I patted her perfect little ass. "Yes, dear."

She huffed. "Patting my butt and calling me dear. Is this the fifties? You're going to pay for that later."

"I hope so," I said.

I entered the bedroom to find Izzy lying on our bed. Her dress was gone, as was her bra. She lay there in simple black cotton panties and nothing else. One might think she was trying to seduce me, but she wasn't even looking at me. She was reading a book.

"Hey," I said.

She set her book on the bedside table and beamed at me. "Hey."

I walked over and sat beside her. She rubbed her hand up and down my back.

"That went well," I said.

"I knew it would. Viv is awesome," Izzy said. "Eliza was so relieved after how messy things were with her family. She cried a little while you walked Viv downstairs."

"Really?" My chest ached at the thought of her being sad. "Is she okay? She seemed fine just now in the kitchen."

"Happy tears, baby. Happy tears."

I sighed with relief. "She said you were waiting for me in here. What's up?"

She sat up and hugged me from behind. "I stopped taking birth control a few weeks ago."

"What?" She had told us right after the proposal that she wanted to get off birth control, but she hadn't done it right away. As the weeks went by, I started to think that she was having second thoughts. I liked the idea of her having my babies, but I saw no need to hurry. I had let the subject drop.

"I'm pretty sure I started ovulating yesterday," Izzy said.

"Wait, you and Elle said you've been on your period this week. Was that a lie?"

Our apartment had been sex free for five days. Not even a blow job. Over the years, Izzy had always gotten very horny during her period, and she often sucked me off. Sometimes we had sex, too. But not often.

"Elle was. I wasn't." She grinned.

"So, the two of you conspired again?"

"Baby, you know that she and I confer about everything when it comes to you."

I chuckled despite how shocked I was feeling in the moment. "You're always making plans without me."

"No, we just like to be on the same page about things before we bring it to you."

That wasn't all of it. They conspired about a lot of things. I was usually happy with the results of whatever they talked about behind my back. In fact, I loved that aspect of their relationship. Their bond was different than the bonds they shared with me, and I loved that. I liked how they connected and communicated. They liked to collaborate in our relationship.

"Are you sure you want to get pregnant before the wedding?" I asked.

"I'm going to be thirty this year, and I want to have more than one baby. I don't want to wait. Why should I? I'm with the two people I love. I'm ready." She turned my face to hers and stared into my eyes. "Are you ready?

Her green eyes were quivering. She was nervous. I couldn't say no to her. Honestly, she was right. There was no reason to wait. Maybe she'd have to buy a maternity dress for the wedding, but I was fine with that. I had nothing to be ashamed of.

"I'm completely ready, babe," I said.

She kissed my cheek. "That's such a relief. I wasn't sure. I've known for a very long time that I want to have children with you. I've been waiting for you to propose."

I pulled her close and kissed her. I rubbed my hands up and down her naked back. "You're trying to tell me that you want to start trying. Now. Tonight."

She nodded.

"That's why Elle wouldn't let me help with cleaning the kitchen."

She stared into my eyes, and we held each other's gaze in silence for a while. I stroked her cheek and kissed her. The kiss got hot and our hands started to roam all over each other. When I pulled away from her to catch my breath, her green eyes sparkled.

She was incredibly beautiful. Her creamy skin, her freckles, her red curls, her mischievous smile. I loved everything about her.

"What?" She smiled.

"Just admiring you. I hope our kids have red hair."

Her pursed her lips. "We'll see."

I moved her to the center of the bed and gently guided her onto her back and slowly pulled her panties off. "You are so beautiful," I said.

She closed her eyes. "So are you."

I kissed her hip before getting out of bed to undress. When I was finally naked, Izzy sat up and put her feet on the floor.

"Come here," she said.

I stepped up to her. She held my cock in hand and bent down to take it in her mouth.

"Hold on, we're trying to get pregnant right now," I said.

She frowned at me. "I can still give you a little head to get started.

"I'm not taking the chance of going off in your mouth. I've been celibate for five days. I don't trust myself."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Okay."

She lay back as I climbed onto the bed. I moved between her legs and got into position. She was staring at me silently.

"Wait. Do you need me to warm you up a little?" I asked. "Do you need some foreplay?"

"Foreplay?" Her nostrils flared.

"I'm new to this. I'm not sure what the best approach is."

She put a hand on my chest and pushed me away. "Wait a second. What's going on?"

"We're trying to get you pregnant."

"But this isn't how we have sex," she said.

"Well, we're trying to make a baby."

She tiled her head. Her face was getting red. "Jimmy, why does that change things?"

"I don't know. I thought you'd want this to be about the baby, not about the sex."

Izzy covered her mouth and laughed. "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to laugh at you."

I pulled away, feeling a bit confused.

"I was worried about this," she said. She sat up and cupped my face in her hands. "You want to be all sweet and careful because there's baby-making going on. And that's a beautiful thing."

"Exactly, I said.

"Jimmy, I don't want to be sweet. I don't want to be gentle. Yes, this is going to be a beautiful thing, but I still want to have wild, horny, slutty sex with you."

"Oh," I said. I suddenly found myself thinking about my parents. Did they have wild, slutty sex when they conceived me and my twin? Ugh, I didn't want to think about that.

Izzy must have seen my horror at picturing my parents fucking all over my face because she pursed her lips. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm suddenly realizing that my parents and probably your parents were doing dirty things to each other when they got pregnant with us."

She smiled. "Exactly. Jimmy, I want to start a family with you, but I also want to keep having crazy sex with you and Elle. Does that work for you?"

"I'll do my best," I said. "This is new territory for me, Izzy."

"You do realize I can get pregnant no matter what kind of sex we have, right?"

"Well yeah, I'm familiar with birds and the bees."

"Good. Also, when I do get pregnant, you better not treat me like I'm fragile. I'll still need you to rail me. To pound me until I scream." She tussled my hair. "If you stop letting me be a horny slut with you and Elle, I'm going to kick your ass."

I moved my hand from her belly to her thigh and let my fingers glide down to her knee and back up to her hip. She shivered at my light touch. I squeezed her thigh, and she groaned in response.

"I think I can do that," I said.

Her face lit up. She inched closer and caught my lower lip between her teeth. She nibbled gently. "I need a good, long, hard fuck tonight. I am still your horny, fiancé, okay?"

"I hear you."

"Sometimes, I'll want the gentle lovemaking, too. But none of this clinical stuff, okay?"

"Okay, what I'm hearing is that this should be fun."

"Absolutely Now stand up."

I got out of bed again and faced her. She studied my naked body for a few minutes with a little smirk before sliding off the bed to her knees on the floor. She took hold of my dick.

"Let me do this my way," she said. She opened her mouth and took me between her lips.

"Oh fuck. Don't make me come."

She backed off and laughed. "I don't think I've ever heard you say that when I've had you in my mouth."

"Well, we're on a mission right now."

"Baby, not every load has to go in my pussy." She licked the head of my cock, which sent a shiver through me.

I smiled down at her. "Five days without sex. The first load is going to be huge."

#

"Good point," she said. "But seriously. Not every load needs to be for baby-making. What would become of our dear Elle if all of your come was reserved for my pussy? Do you really want to deprive her."

#

I suddenly pictured the two of them on their knees swapping my come back and forth in a lusty kiss. "No, Elle deserves to enjoy herself," I said.

"Oh, you are so full of yourself. Yes, I'll admit that she is addicted to your cock. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes."

She engulfed me with mouth and worked her way down my shaft until my cock hit the back of her throat. She worked herself up and down like that for a little while before backing off. She stuck out her tongue and bounced my dick on it. "I love having you in my mouth, Jimmy."

"You are a sex goddess," I said. It was true. I was the luckiest man in the world.

She laughed a little before taking most of my length back into her mouth again. "Mmm. Mmmm." She stroked the base as her lips glided up and down the shaft. Her tongue massaged me as she slurped loudly.

"You love being in my mouth, don't you?" she said.

"You give the best head, Izzy. Truly."

"That's because I love you," she said. "I love making you feel good. Now, I'm going to bring you right to the edge, and then you're going to bend me over this bed and take me." She dropped a hand between her legs and parted pussy lips. "I want to be fucked hard. I want to have trouble walking tomorrow. And you're going to fill me up with your come."

My instinct remained to be sweet and gentle with her, but the dirty talk was countering that. Izzy really was a genius when it came to sex. She knew how to push my buttons, and my life was better for it. "You're going to get everything you want," I said.

"Good." She took me back between her lips and bobbed her head, truly fucking me with her mouth as she fingered herself. "Mm. Mm-hm." She kept her eyes locked on mine as she took me in and out, pausing occasionally to circle the head with her tongue and suck my precum from the tip.

After a couple minutes she pulled back to catch her breath. "I'll never forget how happy I was when I first took you in my hand and felt you get hard. I thought to myself, 'Thank god this man has a good dick.'"

As far as I knew, there was nothing special about my dick. It was average. Sometimes I wished it was thicker.

"What do you like about it?" I asked.

She smiled as she stroked me gently. "Well, it's a nice size and I like how it curves up. It makes for a nice fit in my pussy. But mostly, I just love who it's attached to."

She resumed sucking me and this time she was going hard. I felt my orgasm coming on.

"I'm close," I said.

She pulled off and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Okay, time to fuck."

"Not quite yet," I said. I hooked my hands under her armpits and lifted her to her feet.

"Oh?" she asked.

I shoved her onto the bed and she yelped.

"Oh my! That's not gentle at all." Her lusty grin lit up the room.

I grabbed her knees and pulled her toward me until her ass was nearly hanging off the edge of the mattress. Then I spread her legs apart and pushed them upward as I crouched.

"Oh, I approve of this," she said.

I mashed my tongue against her pussy and swirled it around her labia. She yelped as I delved inside her, tasting the bitter, salty musk that I loved so much. I wanted her to feel beautiful and desired. "Damn, I love eating you out. Your pussy is so perfect."

"Fuck! Jimmy." She hissed as her fingers dug into my scalp.

I probed upward with my tongue and found her clit, which swelled as I tongued it. I made little circles around the hard nub as I inserted a finger inside her. Her nails dug harder into my scalp. I suspected that she was drawing a little blood, but I didn't care.

She was staring into my eyes as I ate her. "I love you so fucking much."

I withdrew my finger and pushed my tongue inside, doing my best to fuck her with it.

"Just like that." She groaned and let her head drop to the mattress.

Her pelvis rotated around as I tongue-fucked her. She let go of my head and brought her hands to her tits, squeezing them together and pinching her nipples.

"I'm gonna come, baby. I'm going to come so fucking hard for you."

"Do it," I said. "I want to taste it."

She lifted her head up and smiled, her eyes wild and her hair whipping around. I pressed a finger to her clit and rubbed it back and forth. She screamed my name as I traced my tongue up her slit, tasting the petals of her inner lip. I removed my finger from her clit and sucked it between my lips. When I pushed my fingers into her pussy, she came. She gasped as her juices flooded over them.

I stood up and admired her flushed body. She was panting with one arm thrown over her face. Sweat glistened on her tits. Was this the best state for her to be in just before I made her pregnant? Post-orgasmic and desperate for me to feed her my cock? I guessed we were going to find out.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"So good. You're not done yet."

I smiled. "No, I'm not." I grabbed her by the hips and lifted her legs up. I used them to flip her onto her belly. She scooted forward a little and got her knees under her. I stepped forward and prepared to push inside her.

A hand reached around from behind me and grabbed my cock.

"Let me help," Eliza whispered into my ear.

She moved to my side and took a firm grip on me. She dropped to one knee and brought her free hand to Izzy's pussy to spread her open. She pulled me closer until I made contact with Izzy, who gasped.

"Is that you, Elle?" Izzy asked. "Are you helping?"

"I'm here, sweetie," Eliza said. "Has he been up to the task?"

"It's like we talked about. He was being too gentle. Treating me like a fragile little baby maker. I set him straight."

Eliza stood up and kissed my cheek. "Well, I'm here now to make sure he stays on course."

Izzy lifted her head and looked at us over her shoulder, a sly look in her eyes "Are you going to help us keep things dirty?"

"Definitely." Eliza placed a hand on my ass and pushed me inside Izzy.

"Oh yes!" Izzy sighed.

Eliza moved behind me and placed her hands on my hips. "You need to fuck her hard, Jimmy." She shoved me, forcing me deep into our fiancé.

"Oh god!" Izzy groaned.

"Show her what that cock can do," Eliza whispered in my ear. "Make her come all over it."

I couldn't help but grin. I loved it when Eliza's filthy side came out.

I did my best. I knew Izzy wanted to be railed, so I went hard and filled the room with the sound of our bodies slapping together.

Eliza pulled her little sundress off and quickly ditched her bra, leaving her in just a green thong. As I watched her climb onto the bed and lay her head beside Izzy's, I thought about how her thong matched the color of Izzy's eyes.

"Oh god, Jimmy. Harder." Izzy groaned, her voice a staccato that matched the rhythm of my thrusts. "Oh! Oh! Oh god! Oh fuck. More. Your dick. More!"

Eliza ran her fingers up and down Izzy's spine. "Does that feel good, sweetie?"

"So good. Elle. So! So! Good!"

"You like that cock?" Eliza said.

"I love it."

"You can't get enough of it, can you?" Eliza asked.

"I can't. I need it so bad."

"You'll do anything to get more of this cock, won't you?" Eliza asked.

Izzy turned and looked into Eliza's eyes. "I would," she said. "I fucking love his cock."

I spanked Izzy's right ass cheek. She yelped with shock, and followed that with a giggle. "Again."

I slapped her other ass cheek.

"Fucking fill me up, Jimmy. I wanna feel you come."

Eliza grabbed Izzy by the chin. "You're our slut, aren't you."

"Yes, I'm your slut!"

Eliza reached under Izzy and grabbed one of her tits. Izzy groaned at the rough treatment.

"Fuck yes!" Izzy turned her head. "Elle, are you my slut, too?"

Eliza smiled. "Yes, I am. Nothing makes me happier."

My girls kissed passionately, which urged me to go harder. I wanted Izzy to come again in that moment, with Eliza touching and kissing her. I slapped one butt cheek and then the other. Izzy groaned into Eliza's mouth.

I slipped a hand between Izzy's legs and found her swollen clit.

Izzy broke her kiss with Eliza. "Oh, god! Jimmy! Yes!"

Eliza moved back in for another kiss and I saw her tongue swirl around Izzy's lips. "Come on that dick, sweetie."

"I am! I fucking am!" Izzy's arms gave out and she fell flat on her face. Her screams were muffled by the mattress. I fucked her through the end of her orgasm and pulled out, sensing that she needed a moment to recover.

She immediately rolled onto her back. She actually growled as she looked at me hungrily. "You are not done, Jimmy."

I stood there with my cock pointing right between her spread legs. I painted a dopey smile on my face. "I'm not?"

"Obviously not," Eliza said. "You need to come inside her. That's how the whole process of knocking up your woman works."

Izzy used both hands to spread herself open for me again. "It's not just about a baby, Jimmy. I want to watch you lose control. I want to feel you lose it inside me."

I climbed on top of her and pushed my cock into her channel. "God, you are fucking tight," I said.

"Pound me, baby. Show Elle who this pussy belongs to."

I grabbed her legs and lifted them so that her ankles were pressed against my shoulders. Then I fucked Izzy as hard as I ever had.

"Yes! YES!" Izzy screamed. She turned to Eliza, who kissed her. I lowered myself and joined them, first stealing a kiss from Izzy before taking a turn with Eliza.

Izzy's pussy clenched around my cock over and over. She squealed as she came again, and this time, I couldn't hold out any longer.

"You feel so good, baby," I said. "I'm coming."

"Finally!"

My balls tightened and my knees buckled. I blasted away inside of her.

"Yes," Izzy sighed as her head dropped back.

Eliza moved closer and trailed her tongue from the bottom of Izzy's right breast to the nipple. "You are so sweaty."

Izzy shivered as Eliza sucked one of her nipples.

Eliza rolled over, creating space between them. "Come here, James."

I scooted up the bed and lay on my back between them. Izzy kissed my shoulder before resting her head on it. She draped her arm across my belly and played with the hair on my stomach. Eliza kissed me on the lips and backed away a little. She just gazed at me for a few seconds.

"What is it?" I asked.

She kissed my cheek. "Do you think you can go again?"

"Well, with the right motivation, sure."

She slapped my arm playfully. "I'll give you plenty of motivation, James."

#

The next morning after a late breakfast, we headed out for stage two of informing my family. My mother Ann and her second husband Phil lived about a hundred miles west of Boston in a little town in the Berkshire mountains.

We left the apartment and descended the stairs to the garage under the building. Now that Eliza was living with us, we were renting a space down there for her Volvo. Fortunately, the garage had a few EV chargers, and most of the people in our building didn't use them. The Volvo had a full charge, more than enough to get us across the state.

As Izzy got into the backseat, she groaned. "I'm so sore."

I fastened my seatbelt in the passenger seat and smiled at Eliza. "She asked for it."

Eliza pulled out of our parking space with a shrug. "She certainly did."

After our first bout of sex last night, I had sex with Eliza. Our time together had been gentle and sweet. Izzy and Eliza followed that up by giving me a double blowjob with a lot of filthy talk until I was ready for a third round. Izzy wanted another vigorous pounding, and I delivered. After that, I had nothing left, but Izzy was insatiable. Eliza retrieved her largest dildo, and fucked Izzy to her fifth or sixth orgasm of the night. As requested, she wasn't gentle with Izzy either.

I actually fell asleep to the sounds of Eliza fucking Izzy with that orange silicone monster. The next morning, part of me wondered how I could do that. How could I fall asleep while two beautiful women had sex beside me? Earlier in our relationship I wouldn't have. Was the thrill of being with them fading?

I eventually shrugged off the concern. They had each other. I was content to pass out, knowing that they were happy in each other's arms. There would be plenty of other nights for the three of us to enjoy each other.

As we drove out of the city, we reviewed the plan for breaking our news to my mother. After that, Izzy moved the conversation to baby names.

"How about Victoria?" Izzy asked.

"Absolutely not," Eliza said. "Too royal."

"Okay, Daphne?"

"Will my daughter be a member of the Scooby Gang?" I asked.

"It's better than Velma," Eliza said with a little chuckle.

"How about Sophia?" I asked. "I feel like that pairs well with Isabelle for some reason."

"Hm, I like that?" Izzy said. "It sounds great next to the name Eliza, too."

"What if it's a boy?" Eliza asked.

"It won't be a boy," Izzy said.

"Just humor us," I said.

We batted around some boy names until Izzy fell asleep.

Eliza sighed and pulled into a rest area with a gas station and a few fast food places.

"Do you need food?" I asked her. "It's not like we need gas."

"No, I'm just tired. You need to drive. Switch with me."

"Both of you are wiped out. How late did you stay up?"

Eliza pulled into the parking lot and found a spot. "Just so you know, we weren't having sex all ight, James. We talked, and the conversation went on for quite a while."

"About?"

She turned off the car and handed me the keys. "I'm going to get a coffee. Stay here with Isabelle."

"You didn't answer my question."

She closed her eyes and shrugged. "We talked about what I'll do if my parents don't come to the wedding."

"Elle." I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed it. "I'm sorry."

"I really don't know what I'll do, James. I know my sister will be there. But what if my parents don't come? What if they never accept us?"

"They will still love you no matter what we do," I said.

"I just want all this bullshit to be over so we can start living our life together. I feel like I've been waiting so long to be with you, James. We should have gotten together a decade ago."

"We were kids, and we didn't know what we were doing."

"I knew what you wanted from me," she said. "And I was scared. You were my best friend and I didn't want to risk ruining that."

"We messed it up anyway." I looked back at Izzy. Her head was slumped to the side and her mouth was hanging open.

"We wasted so much time," Eliza said. She slapped her steering wheel. "Now it's so complicated. Things would be so much simpler if I let myself be with you back then. We could have had a normal wedding years ago, and my parents wouldn't be so upset."

"Elle, if we got together then, I never would have met Izzy."

Eliza winced and glanced back at Izzy. "That's not what I meant." She had a desperate, lost look in her eyes. "I love her so much, James. I really do. I wouldn't change a thing about the three of us. I only wish things were less complicated. I wish my parents weren't judging me."

"I get it." I leaned over and kissed her shoulder. "If your parents refuse to be there, then we'll do whatever it takes to make you feel loved and supported. We'll invite every friend and relative you have in the world. We will fill the venue with everyone who cares about you."

She smiled sadly at me and shook her head. "I really have no regrets about how the three of us came together, James. It's the people outside our relationship who are making this hard."

"I know."

She took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm going to get some coffee. Need anything?"

"Coffees for all three of us. Izzy clearly needs it."

As Eliza walked toward the rest-stop building, I looked at Izzy. "Are you awake?"

She opened her eyes and sat up. "Yeah." She shook her head. "I'm worried about her."

"Tell me what you're worried about."

"I'm worried she break off our engagement. Her parents have got her all mixed up."

"She still loves us," I said.

"I know. But she is a mess. She told me a lot last night. And just now she shared some real regrets. She actually wishes she married you before I came along. That really sucks, Jimmy."

"I'm sorry. You know it's not about you. She loves you, babe."

"I know," Izzy said. "This is why she deserves more than a domestic partnership. Her parents need to know she's safe and secure with us, that we won't take advantage of her. Maybe then they'll accept us."

"We've talked to her about this, and it's gone nowhere," I said.

"The pressure she feels from her family makes all of this worse. She's having regrets that she didn't lock you down before I came along." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I know she isn't wishing me out of the picture. I know she loves me. But it hurts to hear her say that stuff. It scares me."

"It scares me, too," I said. "But I'm not worried about how she feels about you or me. That's all that matters."

Izzy smiled and wiped her eyes. "We need a plan, Jimmy. We need to figure out how to do this three-way marriage legally."

Izzy was asking for help. I needed to step up. "I'm going to figure it out. I promise. I'm going to fix this." I climbed between the front seats as much as I could before I got stuck between them. Then I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a kiss. "It's going to be okay. The three of us are going to be a family."

"I hope so."

A plan was forming in my head. When we got home from this trip, I was going to make a phone call.

"Eliza's coming back," Izzy said. "I'm going to pretend to be asleep. I don't want her to see that I was crying."

I pressed my hand to her cheek. "Look at me."

Izzy opened her eyes and fixed them on me.

"I promise. I'm going to fix this. For you. For Elle. And for me."

She nodded. "I believe you."

#

My parents divorced when my sister and I were twelve. My mom got the family house in suburban Boston, and my dad moved to Maine. Not long after that, Mom sold the house and moved us west to the Berkshires. She met Phil after the move, and she married him when Vivian and I entered high school. I liked the guy. He smoked a lot of weed, read philosophy, and listened to jazz on vinyl.

Phil was watering the garden when we pulled into his and Mom's driveway. He wore running shorts and a sleeveless tee-shirt that hung off his wrinkly, skinny body. Scout, Phil and my mom's golden retriever was running back and forth in front of the stream of water. She was leaping into the air and trying to bite at water.

"Oh my god, I love Phil," Izzy said from the back seat. "He doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks."

"I only met him once at graduation," Eliza said. "At that point, James and I were barely speaking. I didn't get to know him."

"Let's see if he remembers you," I said. I turned off the Volvo and handed Eliza her keys.

Phil waved at us as we walked up the driveway. Scout charged at me, but she stopped short of jumping. Instead she stood before me with her butt wiggling and her tail wagging, I crouched down to scratch her ears and her back. She whimpered and licked my face.

"I miss having a dog," I said.

"When was the last time you had one?" Izzy asked?

"I've never had one of my own. I grew up with them. Both my parents have always had dogs."

"Why don't you get one? Eliza asked.

I stood up and shrugged. "I've never felt settled down enough to get one."

"Well, we're definitely settling down now," Izzy said with a squeeze of my hand.

Phil put the hose away and hurried over the greet us. I could see the moment when he noticed that I had two women with me, rather than just one. He was very familiar with Izzy, and he had been expecting her. Eliza was a surprise. She was going to be a surprise to everyone for the next few weeks.

"Hey Phil," I said. I walked over and shook his hand. He had a strong grip for a skinny guy in his mid-eighties.

Izzy walked up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which made Phil grin. Anyone would smile when they got a kiss from her. "Hi Philly!" she said.

"Oh gosh, Isabelle. You are simply gorgeous," he said.

"Do you remember Eliza?" I asked.

"Eliza?" Phil said. He scrunched up his eyebrows. "Name is familiar."

"She was one of my best friends in college. You met her at graduation."

"Oh, okay. It's nice to see you again. Are you staying with us, too?"

Eliza shook his hand. "Yes. I hope that's all right."

Phil was clearly confused. Why was I here with two women? "Oh sure, no problem. We have two guest rooms after all. Jimmy's room and Viv's old room. Let me help you with your bags."

Scout leaned against Eliza and looked up at her. Eliza smiled and patted her head.

We refused Phil's help with the bags, of course. He was too old to be lugging stuff around for us. He shrugged and led us into the house.

"Ann," he called out. "The kids are here."

My mom came into the living room as we were taking off our shoes. She was still as blonde as she was when I was a kid, but she made no secret that it was a dye job. I could remember her turning gray when I was in high school. She was my sister's height, but a little heavier. Today she wore faded jeans and a red blouse.

Scout was circling everyone, and now she started to bark.

"Scout, bed," my mother said sternly.

Scout trotted into the other room, where she presumedly lay down on a dog bed. "Jimmy, Izzy! It's so lovely to see you." And then my mom did a double-take. "Eliza? My goodness. It's been a very long time."

Mom walked right over to Eliza and hugged her.

"Hi, Ann," Eliza said.

Mom stepped back and kept ahold of one of Eliza's hands. "My goodness, you are an elegant woman. You always were. Just impeccably dressed. Perfect hair." She turned to Izzy and held out her hands. Izzy stepped into the hug. "And of course, my gorgeous Isabelle. Isn't she beautiful, Phil?"

"Absolutely."

"Your skin is luminous, Isabelle. So, tell me why you are here?"

"Oh, well, we... uh." I wasn't prepared to answer that question so soon. I was hoping we could settle in first.

My mom's eyes widened as she took in Izzy's ring. "James Ryan. What is that on Isabelle's finger?" She grabbed Izzy's hand and brought it closer to her face. "Oh, Jimmy. Oh my god! Oh, you finally did it. James! Oh Izzy, I knew this would happen sooner or later. You're the only girlfriend of his that I actually liked. Finally!"

And our plan to bring up the engagement after dinner was out the window. Why was everyone so perceptive of the engagement rings? Izzy and Eliza needed to stop wearing them during this process, but both of them were very reluctant.

"Mom, take it easy," I said.

"Congratulations!" Phil slapped me on the back and hopped toward the kitchen. "I'll get some sparkling wine."

"Oh, just hold on a moment," Mom said. She was looking at Eliza's ring. She stepped closer and looked into Eliza's eyes. "Why are you here, dear?"

"I... I'm..." Eliza was flustered.

"I'm engaged to both of them, Mom," I said.

"Excuse me?" She glanced at Izzy. "Is he serious, Isabelle?"

"It's not a sister wives thing," Izzy said. "Eliza and I are in love, too."

My Mom's eyes fluttered for a moment. "Phil, get in back here right now."

"I'm opening the wine."

"I said get in here."

Phil came back into the living room.

"Tell my Phil what you just told me, son."

"All three of us are marrying each other," I said. "Izzy and I fell in love with Eliza and we asked her to be with us."

Phil's jaw dropped. My mom glared at me with eyebrows arched so high I imagined them flying right off her head. I held my breath.

"Well, Vivian warned me that you had some unexpected news and that I should keep an open mind," Mom said. "I have to say I was so annoyed with her for not elaborating."

"I saw plenty of relationships like this back in my day," Phil said.

"Oh shush, you old hippie," Mom said. Her lips formed a tight line as she studied Eliza. Finally, she moved closer and kissed Eliza's cheek, which made my heart stop. "If my son loves you and Izzy loves you, then how can I refuse you? Welcome to our family."

Oh man, I was having feelings. I wiped my eyes and sniffed hard.

"That means so much to me," Eliza said. She reached out for my hand. When I took it, she squeezed hard and smiled at me.

Izzy hurried over and hugged Eliza. Then she faced my mom. "Please make her feel welcome, Ann," Izzy said. "Her parents are upset about our relationship, and it's been really hard on her."

"Explaining this to friends and family has been very difficult." Eliza's voice was soft and it cracked a little. "Your acceptance is truly a gift."

"Oh, Eliza. Isabelle," Phil said. "Don't cry."

"I'm all right," Izzy said. "It's just... I want people to accept her."

My mom turned to me. "You will need to explain to me exactly how this will work. I'm not letting you marry these women unless I'm confident you are prepared to take care of them and make them happy."

"He knows how to make us happy," Izzy said. "And Eliza and I make each other very happy, too."

My mother blushed. "Okay, then." She bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm sorry it's been difficult, Eliza. Well, I hate to say it, but don't expect his father to be as open-minded as I am."

"Oh, he might surprise them," Phil said.

Mom rolled her eyes. "You always hope for the best in people, even with him."

That's when it occurred to me that my mother always tried to be the good parent. She and my father had an ugly divorce, and it was hard on me and my sister. I wasn't very good in relationships for quite a while because I didn't know what a healthy one looked like. My mother carried some guilt about that even today, and she often tried to make up for it by going above and beyond as a mother. Her calm and understanding reaction to our news was probably tied up in that.

Mom made it clear that we could all sleep in my old room, which had a double bed. She suggested we take our bags up there now. "Then we'll have that wine," she said.

And that's what we did. We toasted. We had dinner and played a board game. Phil went to bed after the game, but the rest of us talked for a while.

Later, Izzy and Eliza went to bed. I stayed behind with my mother. We sat in silence in the living room for a couple minutes.

Mom sipped her wine and sighed. "Are you sure about this, son?"

"I am."

"This relationship is very unconventional. I know the three of you love each other, but it's hard enough to keep a relationship together with two people. Maintaining a balance among the three of you will be hard. I love Isabelle dearly. I love you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I hope that you can love Eliza someday, too," I said.

"Oh, she's lovely. I've always adored her. I sensed that things went badly between the two of you at the end of college. I hope she doesn't hurt you again."

"I trust her. We all trust each other." I stared into my empty wine glass. I was starting to understand how Eliza felt about her family right now. My mom wasn't reacting even a fraction as badly as Eliza's father had. But her words were still painful to hear. She was doubting me.

"It's just that... your relationship with Isabelle has been so good for you. Now you've made it into something different. Something more complicated."

"It might be complicated, but we're happy."

"But only one of them can be your legal wife. Which one will you choose?"

"Eliza insisted on Izzy being my wife."

"Hm." Mom sipped her drink. "That's magnanimous of her, but will she be satisfied with that? I can understand why her family might want more for her."

"Izzy and I are devoted to her. We will give her everything we have."

I explained our plan to move to one of the cities near Boston that recognizes poly domestic partnerships. I didn't tell her about the conversations Izzy and I were having about this issue, or today's promise to Izzy that I would find a better option than Eliza being our domestic partner.

"It's a nice gesture, but she won't have much legal standing. What if you have to move somewhere for work? What if you're on vacation and something happens? There's a whole world out there that won't accept this arrangement. And I think that will be hard on her."

I leaned back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. "I don't know, Mom. I didn't choose this. It just happened. Izzy and I love her, and we want her to be with us. We're going to start a family together."

"I'm worried about you," Mom said. "I'm allowed to worry. I'm not going to tell you what to do or not do." She set down her wine and stood pushed herself off the couch. "But give this some thought. Think about how this will work emotionally, legally, culturally. Life will be a little harder for you than other married people. And like I said, marriage is already hard. It's all about compromise. It's all about being open and sharing your heart with another person. With two spouses, you're facing twice the work. It won't be easy. Right now it feels easy because you're at the beginning. It won't stay that way."

My heart sank as I listened to her. She wasn't as accepting as I hoped she would be. At least she was hiding her doubts from Izzy and Eliza.

"It's time for me to go to bed," Mom said.

I stood up, too. "You'll come to the wedding?"

She stared at me for a moment with a look of confusion on her face. "Of course I will."

"I ask because it sounds like you have some concerns."

"I do. But I'll be there. My son is getting married." She laughed. "To two women! I'll support you in whatever you choose to do."

"Thanks, Mom."

#

I walked into my old bedroom to find Izzy sleeping. Eliza sat at the foot of the bed with Scout, who was lying on her back with her legs up. Eliza was rubbing her belly. I joined Eliza and started scratching Scout's head. The dog groaned and yawned at the same time.

"When is the last time you had a dog?" I asked.

"Just the family dog when I was growing up," she said. "I wouldn't mind adopting one with you guys."

"Okay, Scout. Time to go."

"Hey!" Eliza frowned. "I like having her here."

Scout hopped to the floor and walked out. I closed the door behind her. "I do, too. But dogs have never been allowed on the furniture in this house. You're breaking a major rule by letting her in our bed." I leaned down and kissed Eliza's forehead.

"She hopped up by herself." Eliza crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "I didn't break any rules."

"Scout knew you were a sucker." I laughed as I sat beside her. "She took advantage."

Eliza leaned against me and rested her head on my shoulder. "Your mom is completely freaking out."

"About Scout being on the bed?"

"No, about us."

Eliza was such a lawyer. She could read people better than anyone. She had spent a lot of her career questioning witnesses. She once told me how she'd gotten better and better at picking up on silent cues.

"Oh. Yeah, she's a little concerned," I said.

Eliza backed away and lay down beside Izzy. I joined her, lying on my side to face her.

"I could see it in her eyes," Eliza said. "She's worried this is going to be messy. I appreciate everything she said tonight. I appreciate her kindness. But I know she's conflicted."

"She's a little worried," I said. I told Eliza what my mother had shared in private.

"She's not wrong," Eliza said. "Relationships are hard in general. At some point things won't be so easy between the three of us."

I thought about the first weekend Izzy and I had shared with Eliza. It was a fun and sexy experience, but it was also painful. All of us struggled with confusing emotions as we navigated how the three of us fit together. At one point, Eliza became so conflicted and scared that she fled the situation, leaving Izzy and me at a club to go home with a friend of mine to have a one-night stand. Part of it was her worry that our growing connection was driving a wedge between me and Izzy. She had convinced herself that the best way to deal with those worries was to run away into someone else's arms. In the end, she couldn't go through with the hookup. She came back to my apartment and apologized. Izzy had been furious. I was sad, but relieved.

The three of us made love that night. We've been falling in love more and more ever since.

"I'm not afraid to put in the work," I said. "I'll do what it takes to protect what we have."

She took my hand and pressed it tightly against her chest. "It's going to be hard to put in the work sometimes. For all of us."

"I will work my ass off. Both of you are worth it," I said.

"But she's coming to the wedding, right? Your mom?"

"Absolutely," I said.

"Good. Let's get some sleep."

"I was hoping that we could--"

Eliza rolled her eyes. "We are not having sex in your mother's house."

"We can be quiet."

She shook her head. "Did you hear the bed-frame when we lay down?" Eliza asked.

It had squeaked quite a bit.

"We haven't had much sex this week, because you and Izzy conspired."

She huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on. You were making me wait for the big night. Izzy's first night ovulating."

"Okay, fine. We cooked that up. Izzy was so excited. She wants you to get her pregnant so badly. We thought you'd be packing a lot of extra swimmers if we denied you sex for a few days."

"The two of you were probably having sex behind my back while I was deprived."

"We were not."

I just glared at her.

She sighed. "Okay, maybe once. But I was really on my period. That wasn't a lie."

"I'm just saying. You owe me!"

She smirked. "Well, if you're that in need of some time with me, there is something that we could do very quietly." She placed a hand on my cheek and winked. "It requires almost no movement. No squeaking bed-frames."

"What would that be?" I asked.

"You could go down on me. Make me come on your mouth." She raised her eyebrows.

I kissed her. "I'll try not to make you scream."

"Oh, you're so cocky sometimes. Get down there and do your job."

"Gladly."

"If you do a good job, I'll suck your cock."

"Then I'll definitely do a good job," I said.

"Shush. Your mom is down the hall. Get to work."

I nipped her inner thigh as I moved down her body. She let out a little squeak.

Izzy slept through both our orgasms.